Lee,

I agree with Matt, I don't think people will register for a forum they can't see. I think if you made the change today, several people who currently access the forums with being registered are likely to join, but I think you will lose most new surfers.

But, what is the objective? If it's to create a community, then maybe that's not a bad way to go. If it's to get information to people, then why make them register?

I know for myself, I probably read the posts on the forum for a couple of months before registering. I felt registering was the right thing to do, so that I could hopefully make at least some contribution.

And, this forum has probably been the single most valuable resource I've had while trying to launch our site.

Tony